SHERLOCK HOMES CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTIONS LLC
About us
Complete property inspection services by a Master Home Inspector! Services available also include radon water and air testing, water testing, asbestos testing, mold inspections and testing, and pre-listing inspections. Servicing all of Central and Southern Maine, providing residential, commercial, ocean front, camps, mobile homes and apartment building inspections. Visit my website for specials! All inspections include thermal scanning, mold and pest assessments and ultra sound testing of accessible oil tanks. You also receive an inspection by TWO Certified Inspectors at no additional charge!! Don't settle for new inspectors or part-time inspectors offering you a low price. That can be a costly mistake! Call, text or email me today!! I've been in business over 19 years for a reason and I guarantee satisfaction or there is no charge! Call or text me today. 207.650.5117
Business highlights
23 years of experience
Services we offer
& SEPTIC INSPECTIONS., ALLERGEN TESTING, ASBESTOS TESTING, CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTIONS, ENERGY AUDITS, ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING, LEAD PAINT, MOLD ASSESSMENTS, MOLD TESTING, PARTIAL INSPECTIONS, RADON WATER & AIR TESTING, TESTING, THERMAL IMAGING, WATER TESTING
Amenities
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.626 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 81% | ||
| 12% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 8% |
Showing 1-25 of 26 reviews
Diana R.
Jan 2016
The provider missed obvious things that were wrong with this property. For example water marks under windows that were clearly visible. We reached out to the provider to ask him about these things that he missed. We are not calling him out for missing all of the items but we specifically asked about the watermark which we were denied. We put confidence in his assessment of the property. We are now stuck dealing with this issue. Even our home owners insurance is telling is this won?t be covered because the home inspector should have found this since it was so blatantly obvious.
Response from SHERLOCK HOMES CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTIONS LLC
"Home inspectors are looking for major problems, not minor problems. I guarantee my work and because this customer was not happy I refunded the inspection price."
Ken B.
Aug 2015
He seems to be a good inspector but BUYER BEWARE. He held me hostage on the report. He has an online service contract which I did not sign and he would not give me the report without my signature. The service contract is ridiculous and one-way. I offered to do a simple contract releasing him of any liability and his only response was "click and sign the contract online or you will not get the report". WOULD NOT recommend him at all due to this flaw. Due to the timing on my purchase and sale contract, I did not have time to schedule another inspector so he could be costing me thousands of dollars.
Response from SHERLOCK HOMES CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTIONS LLC
"It's unfortunate that this person doesn't understand the purpose of an inspection agreement. I've been a professional home inspector for over 16 years and have done inspections for thousands of clients, including many attorney's. I've had only one other person refuse to sign my agreement. An inspection agreement is standard operating procedure for home inspectors. We do not provide reports without them being agreed to. My agreement has been reviewed by an attorney, spells out my inspection responsibilities, gives my clients information on what to expect and protects me from unjustified claims. I have received top reviews from many sources, including the Super Service Award from Angie's List for 3 years running. This person represents a good example of why I use an inspection agreement. He claims the situation has cost him money, however, that is due purely by his refusal to sign the agreement and is no fault of mine. I fit him into my busy schedule, travelled over an hour one way to the home, spent over two hours doing his inspection, then another 2+ hours doing his report. It was ready to go within his requested time frame. This is the type of client I don't need. As a business man, so he states, he should be highly aware that almost anything you do these days has a contract. From purchasing a cell phone to buying a home. His fee is being refunded and I wish him luck with his purchase."
Calvin B.
Dec 2014
The inspection went smoothly. Very helpful and answered all of our questions. Pointed out things to do/watch out for. Also showed us the heat loss areas of the building with the infrared camera. Would definitely recommend and hire again, but hoping that this house is the forever home this time :-)
Carlee B.
Jun 2014
He was very quick in returning phone calls and arrived ahead of schedule on day of inspection. Pointed out a lot of problems with the house. Doesn't do septic inspections, but was able to recommend a guy. Ended up not buying the house. Shared the report with relatives, they were all very impressed with the thoroughness of the job. Gave some B s only because I used a different guy on a different house that I thought was even better. Sherlock has a great website.
David B.
Jun 2014
He did a pretty thorough inspection of the premises, pointing out areas of concern as he saw them. he answered our questions as we went along. Bob is very professional and easy to talk to. His report was very detailed from attic to basement and will be a great guideline for us to get somethings taken care of. I also liked that his reports stated Maine State laws for different things like smoke detectors, for example. we had a very good experience and will recommend him to others.
Maureen W.
Jun 2014
Bob Smith is a supreme professional. He took his time and looked at every detail of the home I had made an offer on to purchase. He tested all of the outlets, thoroughly inspected each room top to bottom. He checked the kitchen appliances and sink and all features of the kitchen. He climbed up it the attic to check the venting for the propane system; he checked the system thoroughly. He inspected the basement crawl space and identified a structural problem that the two previous inspectors had missed. He checked the circuit panel, the garage and all it's components, the exterior and interior plumbing, the foundation, roof and siding. He had all the proper equipment including a ladder, to do a complete and thorough job. I was given a 70 page detailed inspection report within 24 hours and it was comprehensive and detailed.
I've seen shoddy inspections, so I was very careful to choose a top professional when it came to my home purchase. I cannot recommend Bob Smith more highly.
Kevin P.
May 2014
Amazing. It was clear that Bob is an expert throughout the process and he explained things in a way we could understand. On top of that, his professionalism is absolutely unmatched. We would recommend him to anyone without hesitation!
Otty M.
Oct 2013
I feel building inspections, in general, are a racquet, but a necessary evil when purchasing a home. What I mean is, all the important stuff is a "disclaimer" ...nobody takes liability...and the rest is boilerplate. So I wasn't expecting much, would have been pleasantly surprised to discover otherwise, but wasn't. This company was responsive, on-time, professional, but I was reminded, and disappointed, that my most pressing issues (how's the roof?...well, from down here, it's probably ok.. they don't pay me enough to get on top of roofs....for instance, is very frustrating. The written report was extensive, however, and timely (despite the fact that it was loaded with disclaimers..the standard boiler plate stuff), loaded with good pictures. The fact was, without this report, I could not have verified my choice in getting out of the contract as the house I had inspected had many structural defects..didn't necessarily need a building inspector to spot them, but credentials are important.
Leslie B.
Sep 2013
The appointments and reporting were handled very well.
Josetta H.
Jul 2013
Bob Smith provided an excellent report, complete with very helpful photos, of the condition of the house. He flagged items I was not aware of at all on the heating unit and the electrical wiring-- as well as items that were not up to code such as handrails on staircases. His information helped me to clearly see that purchasing the home would require a much higher than expected repair expense-- as such, I decided not to purchase the home. Bob responded to a last minute call for assistance to get my home inspection completed within a critical timeframe and his report revealed a complete inspection of the attic, insulation, etc... and he noted items he was not able to make a determination on. I was very impressed with his professionalism and plan to use his services again when I locate another house to potentially purchase.
Michael E.
Jun 2013
Very well and he make the customer feel he was interested with the job and wanted you to know what he saw. He was friendly and easy to talk with.
Nathan C.
Apr 2013
I found the home inspector from Sherlock Homes Certified Home Inspections LLC for be very friendly and he provided an extremely thorough report. He didn't seem to mind that I followed him around to ask questions and he was happy to answer my questions.
Jeffrey M.
Apr 2013
We were on a house hunting trip to Maine and had limited time. Bob was able to schedule our inspection with a days notice. It was a litte expensive, but worth it. He was knowledgeable and professional. Highly recommended....
James M.
Mar 2013
I rarely write reviews but Bob was incredibly professional and did a great job making sure we understood all of the details.
Mark R.
Feb 2013
I would highly recommend Bob and his inspections! He was very thorough, and looked at everything he could get to. He spent the time with me explaining how things should work, how they should be, etc., etc. He came early and began the outside inspection process.
His report was thorough, and he finished it very quickly, despite catching a "bug". His recommendations make sense.
I am happy that I went with Sherlock Homes, and Bob was a pleasure to work with; I would certainly use him again.
His report was thorough, and he finished it very quickly, despite catching a "bug". His recommendations make sense.
I am happy that I went with Sherlock Homes, and Bob was a pleasure to work with; I would certainly use him again.
Amie P.
Oct 2012
Bob was prompt, friendly and was good at pointing out both minor issues as well as safety concerns that should be addressed. He was reasonable in explaining what he could do, could not do and things to look for in the future. He issued a report in the time frame promised and it was a comprehensive report. Would recommend and plan to use again!
Troy C.
Aug 2012
Very Satisfied, I showed up a couple minutes late and Bob already was hard at work. Took his time and we wrapped up in about 2 hours, would have been less but he answered my questions along the way.
Abigail B.
Jul 2012
We were extremely satisfied with Bob Smith. He was professional and courteous while inspecting our new home. He was thorough and used many updated technologies. We were so impressed that we hired him to inspect our current home as well, as we are going to be renting it. Again, he was punctual and professional. We will defineately use him in the future and highly recommend him.
Eric K.
Jul 2012
I would use their services again in the future.
Brad B.
Jun 2012
Bob is the inspector that performed our home inspection during the purchase of our home. The inspection lasted just over 2.5 hours for a home that is <2 years old. I contacted Bob on Tuesday and he completed the inspection on Friday
Bob was very methodical and explained the tests and issues as he identified them. Bob uses thermal imaging technology to inspect all areas that he can not physically get into and the insulation. The issues identified saved us over $1000 in issues that we would of had to pay for out of our pocket had we not had him inspect. Bob is an individual that is patient and ensures all questions are answered and Bob was readily available after the inspection to further clarify issuse as we negotiated the corrections to the property.
When I buy another properly in Sothern ME Bob will be called on again to ensure the property being purchased is up to code..
Bob was very methodical and explained the tests and issues as he identified them. Bob uses thermal imaging technology to inspect all areas that he can not physically get into and the insulation. The issues identified saved us over $1000 in issues that we would of had to pay for out of our pocket had we not had him inspect. Bob is an individual that is patient and ensures all questions are answered and Bob was readily available after the inspection to further clarify issuse as we negotiated the corrections to the property.
When I buy another properly in Sothern ME Bob will be called on again to ensure the property being purchased is up to code..
Mary E.
Jul 2011
The person who came from Sherlock Homes Inspection was very professional. He communicated promptly and very clearly. He was punctual and thorough. I was very pleased with his work and the details of his report.
Richard C.
Jul 2010
Having purchased 10 homes over the last 40 years I have some experience in hiring and assessing home inspectors. In my judgment Robert Smith of Sherlock Homes Certified Home Inspections is a reasonably competent inspector. He was prompt, well organized, and made arrangements for the septic inspector to be on site during his review. Although he missed a couple of significant defects the areas of concern he uncovered were helpful to us and clearly explained. His final report was comprehensive and detailed. The digital photos included in the report were very well done and quite useful. However, in my judgment the report was filled with too much ?boiler plate? language and some irrelevant material. For example, he included in his written report the comment: ?Most of the walls and ceiling in the finished basement are covered and structural members are not visible. No obvious problems discovered. I could not see behind these coverings.? As there were no finished areas at all in the basement this language was most likely boiler plate material that should have been removed from the finished report. The two significant defects missed were: (1) the boiler as it turns out is grossly undersized for the lineal footage of baseboard and square footage of the house and will have to be upgraded and (2) the central air conditioning unit, which was rightfully not tested during the inspection because the outdoor temperature was below 65 degrees, turned out to be inoperable despite assurances from the owners that it was in good working order. Although the unit could not have been safely tested because of ambient conditions, had the inspector lifted the cover to visually inspect the condition of the outdoor unit he would have discovered that rodents had destroyed the electronics, probably years ago, and that major repair work was needed. As spare parts are no longer available for this unit the entire system will have to be replaced. Despite these oversights the inspector did uncover a number of safety issues related to the electrical work, fire codes, and venting and we were appreciative of these important discoveries which have helped us to insure that our new home is a safe place to live. Overall I would rate Sherlock Homes as better than average. No home inspector is an expert in all areas. Thus, I feel that it is often advisable to also consult with master tradespeople to supplement what is learned in the home inspection.
Response from SHERLOCK HOMES CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTIONS LLC
"I certainly appreciate the member's remarks regarding my services. I would like to clarify a couple of things however. It was stated that: "The two significant defects missed were: (1) the boiler as it turns out is grossly undersized for the lineal footage of baseboard and square footage of the house and will have to be upgraded and (2) the central air conditioning unit, which was rightfully not tested during the inspection because the outdoor temperature was below 65 degrees, turned out to be inoperable despite assurances from the owners that it was in good working order." First regarding the boiler. Home inspectors are not heating contractors and only a qualified heating contractor can determine the amount of BTU's required for a structure. We never make such determinations. We are there to test existing equipment only. Second, regarding the AC condenser on the exterior, home inspectors do not pull things apart or open components other than basics such as dead fronts on electrical panels and furnace fronts (and backs) to check filters, etc. Taking things apart is beyond the scope of a home inspection and should never be expected of a home inspector. Qualified technicians only should tamper with equipment. I specifically stated in the report that the potential buyer was to obtain assurance the system was working and to find out the date of last service. Unfortunately, inspectors have no way of knowing if a seller is lying or not and it is up to the buyer to do their research prior to contract acceptance. I hope this clears up a couple of mis-conceptions regarding home inspectors. Our job is to perform a VISUAL inspection of components in a home with as much diligence as possible. Our Standards of Practice spells out our requirements and expectations during a home inspection and to expect more is somewhat unreasonable. We do our absolute best during a short timeframe to find every possible problem that exists at the time of inspection, however, if we cannot test a component for any reason we cannot determine its proper function."
Bridget E.
Oct 2009
This is the 2nd home inspection we've gone through with Bob. He responded to my e-mail to schedule this inspection within minutes. He is busy, but was able to schedule us within a few days. Bob has some cool gadgets that he uses during the inspection -- like a scanner that can detect heat loss in walls & roof or hidden water leaks. He provided us with good advice on what our major concerns should be (and which things were ok to leave be) and suggested some additional inspections from specialists. For our inspection, we also had him do a radon test, which was simple. He made arrangements on his own with the listing agent or owner to pick up the vials and the results are ready a week later. Bob provided us with a color report full of photos and clear recommendations, such as "Repair" or "Monitor" or "Safety Issue." We also get a copy on CD. As a bonus, he's a friendly person!
DEBORAH P.
Jul 2008
I was purchasing property in Maine from a location over 1,000 miles away. Bob responded immediately to my email request for information, and scheduled the inspection at a time that was convenient for both the realtor and my brother to attend. During the course of setting things up, and afterwards, he answered all my email queries promptly and did an extremely thorough job, sending me three finished reports: a bottom line summary report; a full 59 page pdf document with many photographs and descriptions; and a report on the radon. Oh, and also a CD. The reports also include links to more information about each issue, so if you want to learn more, it's all there. My biggest difficulty was using Bob's website to sign up for his service -- He has things all set up online which is very convenient, especially for those of us from afar. I emailed him and we worked hard from both ends and eventually came up with a work around. He did an awesome job over a weekend and late at night to get it all resolved.
CATHERINE C.
Jul 2008
Bob was very prompt, professional and thorough. He always called or emailed me right away and went out of his way to help me get my tests done as quickly as possible. His emailed reports are very detailed and helpful and best of all he is very good natured and pleasant!!
Licensing
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FAQ
SHERLOCK HOMES CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTIONS LLC is currently rated 4.6 overall out of 5.
SHERLOCK HOMES CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTIONS LLC accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
Yes, SHERLOCK HOMES CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTIONS LLC offers free project estimates.
No, SHERLOCK HOMES CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTIONS LLC does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, SHERLOCK HOMES CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTIONS LLC does not offer a senior discount.
No, SHERLOCK HOMES CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTIONS LLC does not offer emergency services.
No, SHERLOCK HOMES CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTIONS LLC does not offer warranties.